Can a hunter use a general deer licence in hunt area 19?

Yes. Hunt area 19 is a general-licence area open to Wyoming residents who hold a general deer licence and to nonresidents who draw a Region C general licence. Residents purchase a general licence over the counter; nonresidents must draw one in the annual random allocation.

Which deer species does hunt area 19 permit?

Hunt area 19 hunts for both mule deer and white-tailed deer, but under different rules. The two general-licence seasons permit mule deer (antlered, three points or more) and any white-tailed deer. The Type 8 season is white-tailed deer only (doe or fawn). White-tailed deer are found primarily in the Powder River drainage and tributaries, while mule deer use the broader landscape.

What does hunt area 19 look like for foot hunting?

The hunt area is predominantly gentle terrain, averaging 3.9 degrees of slope. Public land makes up roughly 14% of it and consists mainly of BLM and State Trust Land accessible from county roads and state highways. Much mapped public land is not reliably reachable. Johnson County Walk-In Area 7 provides dependable access to mule deer country. Private land dominates, and much of it is under outfitter lease.

When do the mule deer and general white-tailed deer seasons run in hunt area 19?

The general-licence mule deer and any-white-tailed-deer season spans archery (September 1–30) and regular (October 1–14). Archery hunting occurs as deer shed velvet in early fall, while regular season runs through the early migration and nocturnal buck phases into early pre-rut staging. The November 1–15 any-white-tailed-deer season runs during pre-rut and primary rut phases.

What is hunting pressure like in hunt area 19?

Public lands receive high hunting pressure, especially during the first week of the general seasons when hunter density is heavy. Later in the season, pressure drops as hunters spread elsewhere. White-tailed deer hunting occurs almost entirely on private land, which is difficult to access. Mule deer hunters working the walk-in area and public lands may find less pressure after the opening week.

Wyoming Hunt Area 19 (Pumpkin Buttes) deer hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

14%

Elevation

3,900–6,100 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Deer region

Hunt area 19 spans sagebrush-grassland plains and rougher country in the Powder River breaks across a large area of north-central Wyoming. The ground is predominantly gentle, with mean slope of 3.9 degrees, though mule deer reach higher densities where the topography steepens in the breaks. Sagebrush dominates the open country at 61% of cover, with grass and meadow at 36%. Elevations run from 3,900 to 6,100 feet, with typical ground around 4,800 feet. White-tailed deer are restricted to the Powder River drainage and some of its tributaries; mule deer use the broader landscape but at lower densities in the flat sagebrush country.

Public land here amounts to roughly 14% of the hunt area, mostly BLM and State Trust Land. Much of what appears on maps as public ground is not reliably accessible—roads, trailheads, private inholdings and seasonal closures all affect where a hunter can actually get. The accessible portions bordering county roads and state highways draw significant pressure, especially in the first week of the season. Johnson County Walk-In Area 7 sits within the hunt area and offers reliable access to mule deer habitat. Gaining permission to hunt private land is difficult; many ranches are leased to outfitters, and those accepting a trespass fee are selective. White-tailed deer hunting happens almost entirely on private ground. Hunters willing to push into the season later will encounter less congestion than early-season hunters on the limited public acreage.

November brings cooler conditions and the primary rut. The general-licence any white-tailed-deer hunt in November allows a longer opportunity on private ground if a hunter has secured access, though public land hunting becomes less productive as the season advances.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 19 (Pumpkin Buttes) is a general-licence hunt area, and how a hunter gets a licence for it depends on where they live.

A Wyoming resident buys a general deer licence over the counter — unlimited statewide, on sale from mid-July. No draw, no application, no preference points.
A nonresident cannot buy one. They must draw a Region general licence — for this hunt area, deer region C, which is valid across the general-licence hunt areas of that region and nowhere else.

A hunter may hold only ONE general deer licence in a year, so a general licence is a single choice rather than something to stack.

Wyoming residents have no preference points for deer — the resident deer draw is random, and no resident point cutoff exists for any hunt area in the state. For nonresidents points matter a great deal: Wyoming awards 75% of each nonresident pool through the preference-point draw, top-down by points, and the remaining 25% at random. Nonresidents also choose between the Regular and Special pools — the same hunts at two price points, competing separately.

Seasons (2026)

Type Gen — general licence · Antlered mule deer three (3) points or more on either antler or any white-tailed deer
Legal: mule deer and white-tailed deer, under different rules
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 14
Type Gen — general licence · Any white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Regular November 1 – November 15
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – November 15

Where a hunt above sets an antler requirement on mule deer and then allows any white-tailed deer, that point requirement is a mule deer rule only. And “any white-tailed deer” means any— buck, doe or fawn. WGFD writes “antlered” where it means a buck and “antlerless” or “doe or fawn” where it means a female, so an unqualified “any” sets no restriction on sex or age.

The wording of each hunt is the Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s and is legally exact — a “doe or fawn” hunt is not a deer hunt in general, and a hunt limited to part of the area is not valid across it. Confirm every hunt in the current regulations before applying.

Hunting each season

Type Gen — Antlered mule deer three (3) points… · mule deer & whitetail (September–October)

Hunting the September archery period and early October regular season here targets mule deer shedding velvet and transitioning into fall movement, along with any white-tailed deer. September temperatures run highs near 74 degrees and lows near 44 degrees with minimal snow, making for warm, dry bowhunting; October cools to highs around 58 degrees and lows near 32 degrees with scant snowfall. Accessible public land receives heavy pressure in the first week but thins out as the season advances. The walk-in area offers reliable access to mule deer country, while white-tailed deer hunting depends on private-land access through the Powder River drainage. The hunt permits antlered mule deer with three points or more on either antler, along with any white-tailed deer.

Type Gen — Any white-tailed deer · whitetail only (November)

The November any-white-tailed-deer season runs as pre-rut activity builds into the primary rut, typically peaking mid-month. Temperatures drop sharply to highs around 45 degrees and lows near 21 degrees, with snowfall averaging 1.9 inches for the month. This hunt is white-tailed deer only and depends almost entirely on private-land access, which becomes harder to negotiate but may offer less hunting pressure than the earlier general seasons if a hunter has secured permission beforehand. Public lands see minimal advantage this late in the season.

Type 8 — Doe or fawn white-tailed deer · whitetail only (September–November)

Doe or fawn white-tailed-deer hunting spans archery in September and regular hunting through November, tracking the does and fawns through velvet shedding, early migration, and into the rut phases. The season opens in warm conditions—September highs near 74 degrees—and cools steadily into November as snow accumulates, averaging 1.9 inches by month's end. This hunt applies to white-tailed deer only and occurs almost exclusively on private land. Archery hunters in September face warm conditions and less visibility as vegetation remains full; regular-season hunters from October onward contend with cooler temperatures, increasing snow, and the rut activity that concentrates both sexes, though access to the Powder River drainage and tributary country where white-tailed deer live depends on private permission.

Land and access

private land86%

Private

BLM9%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land5%

Generally open to public hunting

About 14% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 211 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.

State trust land counts toward the open figure above. Wyoming extends hunting on legally accessiblestate trust land to the public unless a parcel is specifically closed — the catch is the access itself, since crossing private ground to reach it still needs the landowner’s permission. Camping, fires and off-road vehicles are not allowed on it.

This hunt area has 1 enrolled walk-in area. That is private ground enrolled for public access, not public land. A Walk-In Area needs no permission slip — a hunter may walk in during the open period, subject to its posted rules. Enrollment is renegotiated every year, so check current status before counting on either.

Where deer are mapped

Winter Range26%

used in winter

Yearlong Range26%

the only layer that means year-round use

Each figure is the share of the hunt area that layer covers. It says where deer are mapped, not where inside the area they are, and not when they move.

Habitat and cover

Across the unit

Sagebrush61%

Grass and meadow36%

Other cover3%

Shares are of each elevation band, not of the whole hunt area — they describe what grows up there, not how much of the area sits at that elevation.

Weather through the season

Month	Avg high	Avg low	Snowfall
January	35°F	13°F	2.8 in
February	37°F	14°F	3.4 in
March	48°F	22°F	2 in
April	55°F	29°F	1.1 in
May	65°F	39°F	0 in
June	77°F	48°F	0 in
July	86°F	55°F	0 in
August	85°F	53°F	0 in
September	74°F	44°F	0 in
October	58°F	32°F	0.4 in
November	45°F	21°F	1.9 in
December	35°F	13°F	3.3 in

Snowfall is the monthly total, not depth lying on the ground.

Common questions

Can a hunter use a general deer licence in hunt area 19?: Yes. Hunt area 19 is a general-licence area open to Wyoming residents who hold a general deer licence and to nonresidents who draw a Region C general licence. Residents purchase a general licence over the counter; nonresidents must draw one in the annual random allocation.
Which deer species does hunt area 19 permit?: Hunt area 19 hunts for both mule deer and white-tailed deer, but under different rules. The two general-licence seasons permit mule deer (antlered, three points or more) and any white-tailed deer. The Type 8 season is white-tailed deer only (doe or fawn). White-tailed deer are found primarily in the Powder River drainage and tributaries, while mule deer use the broader landscape.
What does hunt area 19 look like for foot hunting?: The hunt area is predominantly gentle terrain, averaging 3.9 degrees of slope. Public land makes up roughly 14% of it and consists mainly of BLM and State Trust Land accessible from county roads and state highways. Much mapped public land is not reliably reachable. Johnson County Walk-In Area 7 provides dependable access to mule deer country. Private land dominates, and much of it is under outfitter lease.
When do the mule deer and general white-tailed deer seasons run in hunt area 19?: The general-licence mule deer and any-white-tailed-deer season spans archery (September 1–30) and regular (October 1–14). Archery hunting occurs as deer shed velvet in early fall, while regular season runs through the early migration and nocturnal buck phases into early pre-rut staging. The November 1–15 any-white-tailed-deer season runs during pre-rut and primary rut phases.
What is hunting pressure like in hunt area 19?: Public lands receive high hunting pressure, especially during the first week of the general seasons when hunter density is heavy. Later in the season, pressure drops as hunters spread elsewhere. White-tailed deer hunting occurs almost entirely on private land, which is difficult to access. Mule deer hunters working the walk-in area and public lands may find less pressure after the opening week.

Sources

Wyoming Game & Fish — Hunting & Trapping — licence types, general and limited-quota hunts, and season structure
WGFD Hunt Planner — hunt-area boundaries, season dates and the unit descriptions
WGFD — Draw results and odds — how the resident random draw and the nonresident preference-point draw work
WGFD — Regulations — the legal limitations on each hunt, and the statewide licence rules
USGS National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2021) and 3DEP elevation — land cover and terrain by elevation band

Seasons, licence types and boundaries change. Confirm every detail with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department before applying or hunting.

All Wyoming deer hunt areas